Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
nearly 701 as Pietersen comes forward but is beaten by the length as much as the turn, the ball spinning past his forward defence

50.6

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
and Warne visibly rips this one, the ball spitting like a cobra off the pitch but it's short enough for Pietersen to leave alone

End of over 51 (maiden)
England 114/4

KP Pietersen3 (16b)

A Flintoff10 (12b 1x4)

SK Warne6-2-21-1

B Lee12-4-33-2

51.1

Lee to Flintoff,
no run,
blocked out on the front foot

51.2

Lee to Flintoff,
no run,
fuller and swinging into Flintoff who pings it back past him, but without timing

51.3

Lee to Flintoff,
no run,
the perfect length for Flintoff; short of a length, Flintoff tries to bash it off the back foot with concrete-like arms, and misses. Not much of a cross-batted cutter, is Flintoff - and he needs to be on these pitches

51.4

Lee to Flintoff,
2 runs,
clunked through the covers

51.5

Lee to Flintoff,
1 run,
punched through midwicket

Last ball before tea

51.6

Lee to Pietersen,
no run,
and it's defended off the back foot

The umpires are out on the pitch - still gloomy, breezy and cold out there. And here come the straggling players. It'll be Warne to continue

Afternoon session
Welcome back. It's Will again - Martin's busy trawling the dusty archives of Cricinfo to produce a Warne package. Just a couple of minutes away from the resumption now

Tea A memorable session to have witnessed Shane Warne's 700th Test wicket and it is he who leads Australia off to yet more rich applause. So, England are in a mess but Pietersen and Flintoff might yet produce some entertainment in the final session. It'll be Martin to take you through events after tea, so join us then.

End of over 52 (3 runs)
England 117/4

KP Pietersen3 (17b)

A Flintoff13 (17b 1x4)

B Lee13-4-36-2

SK Warne6-2-21-1

52.1

Warne to Flintoff,
no run,
on leg stump, no major turn and it's firmly blocked out

52.2

Warne to Flintoff,
no run,
the flipper! Quicker, straighter, Flintoff defends without ever moving his feet

52.3

Warne to Flintoff,
no run,
on middle-and-off this time - quicker, too - and Flintoff blocks it out

52.4

Warne to Flintoff,
no run,
and he comes forward this time to this classical leg break

Warne to Flintoff,
no run,
and it's defended on the back foot to end the over

End of over 53 (maiden)
England 117/4

A Flintoff13 (23b 1x4)

KP Pietersen3 (17b)

SK Warne7-3-21-1

B Lee13-4-36-2

53.1

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
a gentle loosener which is pushed to leg

53.2

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
Pietersen comes confidently forward, pushing it to midwicket but without properly timing it

53.3

Clark to Pietersen,
1 run,
and Pietersen takes half a step across his stumps, turning it behind square

Dangerous shot, that, on this pitch

53.4

Clark to Flintoff,
no run,
Flintoff tries to work it through midwicket but can't time it

No Geraint Jones for this Test. He's been dropped (for how long is anyone's guess) and replaced by Chris Read, who's next in bat

53.5

Clark to Flintoff,
no run,
angling into Flintoff whose head falls away to the off side, consequently he is in no position to play the shot and the ball raps him on the pad before bobbling out to leg

53.6

Clark to Flintoff,
no run,
left alone outside off

End of over 54 (1 run)
England 118/4

A Flintoff13 (26b 1x4)

KP Pietersen4 (20b)

SR Clark13-4-18-1

SK Warne7-3-21-1

54.1

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
no! GIlchrist has missed the easiest stumping. Warne completely bamboozled Pietersen, the ball turning massively away from his forward prod - Pietersen halfway down the track, but Gilchrist made a complete hash of it, the ball bobbling out of his gloves. Pietersen was dead and buried there - and knew it, too - and Gilchrist looks a trifle sheepish

54.2

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
defended more solidly

54.3

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
pushed out into the covers

54.4

Warne to Pietersen,
1 run,
ooh and Warne's all over Pietersen here, who turns it to leg to get off strike

54.5

Warne to Flintoff,
no run,
firmly defended by Flintoff

54.6

Warne to Flintoff,
no run,
big, big turn for Warne and Flintoff, this time, is beaten

England might be in a mess here but Australia are having a day to forget. "England should be all out by now," Andrew Miller insists. "Two drops, two run-outs, a missed stumping and an awful lbw decision".

End of over 55 (1 run)
England 119/4

A Flintoff13 (28b 1x4)

KP Pietersen5 (24b)

SK Warne8-3-22-1

SR Clark13-4-18-1

55.1

Clark to Pietersen,
2 runs,
turned to leg and they steal a couple

55.2

Clark to Pietersen,
1 run,
well bowled - extracting nasty bounce on Pietersen who rides it, dropping it down by his feet and they steal another single

55.3

Clark to Flintoff,
no run,
defended on the back foot quite solidly

55.4

Clark to Flintoff,
no run,
firmly, solidly pushed out into the covers

Incidentally, Pietersen has passed 2000 Test runs from 22 matches

55.5

Clark to Flintoff,
OUT,
outside Flintoff's off stump, a touch more bounce but it's in the perfect channel. He prods at it with a stiff, concrete-like front leg and the ball flies to Warne who takes a simple catch

A Flintoff c Warne b Clark 13 (36m 31b 1x4 0x6) SR: 41.93

Oh dear. Now then Chris Read - here's your chance.

55.6

Clark to Read,
no run,
on off stump, Read defends awkwardly

End of over 56 (3 runs)
England 122/5

CMW Read0 (1b)

KP Pietersen8 (26b)

SR Clark14-4-21-2

SK Warne8-3-22-1

56.1

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
hello 'ello; Pietersen tries to hit Warne into the sea and is completely beaten by the turn

56.2

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
ooh more big turn for Warne but Pietersen plays this out into the covers with soft hands

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
fuller this time, on leg stump and it's defended solidly

56.5

Warne to Pietersen,
1 run,
quicker ball - very well bowled, Warne's on fire here - but Pietersen goes right back and turns it with a flick of the wrists

Here's Read. According to the stump mic, the Aussies said "Look lads, here comes the one they don't want"

56.6

Warne to Read,
no run,
oh dear, Warne makes Read look very, very silly here. Very silly indeed, but it's not Read's fault - this pitch has plenty of moisture and Warne could turn it on marble. This lands on leg and spins past the off stump. Enough said.

End of over 57 (1 run)
England 123/5

CMW Read0 (2b)

KP Pietersen9 (31b)

SK Warne9-3-23-1

SR Clark14-4-21-2

57.1

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
clunked into the covers

Mikey Holding is ranting and raving, with some justification it must be said, about Flintoff's decision to bat first. Mark Taylor and Ian Chappell, apparently, have said they too would've batted. Ponting would have, too. But at the moment it's a real bowler's day

57.2

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
defended out into the off side

57.3

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
Pietersen comes right forward and defends it with a straight bat

57.4

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
a huge stride forward by Pietersen who shoulders arms with a flourish

57.5

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
again he comes forward to this one on off stump, pushing it to leg

57.6

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
a beautiful shot with just a hint of the outrageous, smacking it straight to mid on.

End of over 58 (maiden)
England 123/5

KP Pietersen9 (37b)

CMW Read0 (2b)

SR Clark15-5-21-2

SK Warne9-3-23-1

Now then...Warne to Read

58.1

Warne to Read,
1 run,
short and wide and Read smacks it to McGrath who is, well - let's be honest - very, very, very slow indeed to react and they steal a single

58.2

Warne to Pietersen,
1 run

58.3

Warne to Read,
no run,
short again, big turn but Read can't time his back-foot drive

58.4

Warne to Read,
no run,
oooh and Read is in two minds here! Wonderful flight from Warne, above Read's eye line who comes tentatively forward

58.5

Warne to Read,
no run,
and the first googly of the day which, I reckon, Read reads (sorry) - defended solidly

58.6

Warne to Read,
no run,
wonderful legbreak on middle-and-leg, turning away from Read who, to his credit, just pulled his bat inside the line. Just. Just...

End of over 59 (2 runs)
England 125/5

CMW Read1 (7b)

KP Pietersen10 (38b)

SK Warne10-3-25-1

SR Clark15-5-21-2

59.1

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
pushed back to the bowler

Ian Botham is joined by Brian Lara in the Sky box

59.2

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
on middle stump, Pietersen drives with confidence back past the bowler

59.3

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
again on middle-and-leg and it's pushed to mid on once more

59.4

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
Pietersen steps across his crease, bashing it back to Clark who is deeply unimpressed by the batsman's cocky feet movement

59.5

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
defended solidly on the back foot

59.6

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
and he pushes this off the back foot to end the over

59.6

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
and he pushes this off the back foot to end the over

End of over 60 (maiden)
England 125/5

KP Pietersen10 (44b)

CMW Read1 (7b)

SR Clark16-6-21-2

SK Warne10-3-25-1

Warne peels off his sweater to begin another over

60.1

Warne to Read,
no run

Warne peels off his sweater to begin another over

60.1

Warne to Read,
no run,
hugely short, turning prodigiously away from Read who cuts it into the ground

60.2

Warne to Read,
1 run,
Read pulls this, tennis-style, back past the bowler - to his left - and they scamper a single to mid-off

60.3

Warne to Pietersen,
1 run,
swept fine for a single

60.4

Warne to Read,
no run,
lovely bowling! Turning away from Read's forward defence who looks back down the pitch as if so say "what did I do wrong?"

60.5

Warne to Read,
no run,
better from Read, going back and angling this into the gully

60.6

Warne to Read,
no run,
too short and wide, spinning wider still

End of over 61 (2 runs)
England 127/5

CMW Read2 (12b)

KP Pietersen11 (45b)

SK Warne11-3-27-1

SR Clark16-6-21-2

61.1

Clark to Pietersen,
2 runs,
punched out into the covers for a single. No, they're taking two - Johnson does well to sprint round and fires in a good throw

61.2

Clark to Pietersen,
3 runs,
a brilliant shot, stepping outside his off stump and whipping him flamingo style through midwicket

61.3

Clark to Read,
1 run,
ooh this cuts back into Read who plays it off the back foot into midwicket

61.4

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
outside his off stump, driven back to the bowler

61.5

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
down on one knee and driven with a flourish back to the bowler

61.6

Clark to Pietersen,
no run,
and he shoulders arms outside the off stump

End of over 62 (6 runs)
England 133/5

KP Pietersen16 (50b)

CMW Read3 (13b)

SR Clark17-6-27-2

SK Warne11-3-27-1

62.1

Warne to Read,
no run,
ooh and it's on leg stump, Read shimmies down the pitch and almost gets into a tangle before defending it out into the covers

62.2

Warne to Read,
no run,
outside off this time and Read leaves alone

62.3

Warne to Read,
1 leg bye,
but this one is outside leg, too wide and Gilchrist blots his copybook once more today by failing to gather it

62.4

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
short and wide of the off stump, Pietersen tries to clobber it through midwicket but can't time it

62.5

Warne to Pietersen,
1 run,
ah, lovely stroke - a fluent, commanding straight drive but he can't find the gap and they just steal a single

62.6

Warne to Read,
OUT,
on off stump, Read flays it straight to Ponting - who was in very close at short extra cover - who took an excellent catch. It was the big, juicy "come and get me" from Warne; outside off, tempting Read, and he couldn't refuse - but he was off balance, spooning the ball airborne

McGrath to Pietersen,
no run,
Pietersen ambles to meet the ball and casually drives to mid-on

63.2

McGrath to Pietersen,
no run,
wide and Pietersen watches that on its way

63.3

McGrath to Pietersen,
no run,
he had to stretch to reach that and as such the drive lacks power and Ponting is not tested at short extra cover

63.4

McGrath to Pietersen,
no run,
again Pietersen walks to meet the ball, this time veering to the off side as well and he plops it safely to midwicket

63.5

McGrath to Pietersen,
no run,
expansive leave to a straight one outside off stump

63.6

McGrath to Pietersen,
no run,
played into the covers with a certain flair

Now Mahmood on strike as England's day goes from bad to worse.

End of over 64 (maiden)
England 135/6

KP Pietersen17 (58b)

SI Mahmood0 (0b)

GD McGrath15-8-24-0

SK Warne12-3-28-2

Warne tweaks his field and also with Mahmood's mind

64.1

Warne to Mahmood,
no run,
a big stride forward to meet it

64.2

Warne to Mahmood,
no run,
turned across Mahmood and the ball ends up being taken by a diving slip ... appeals from some but not others and Koertzen unimpressed ...it came off the pad with no bat

64.3

Warne to Mahmood,
no run,
quicker ball, flipped to midwicket

64.4

Warne to Mahmood,
no run,
straight one, safely blocked

64.5

Warne to Mahmood,
no run,
conventional legbreak which Mahmood read and left

64.6

Warne to Mahmood,
no run,
full toss outside leg stump which hits Gilchrist rather than being taken by him ... the net result is the same, no run and a maiden over

End of over 65 (maiden)
England 135/6

SI Mahmood0 (6b)

KP Pietersen17 (58b)

SK Warne13-4-28-2

GD McGrath15-8-24-0

65.1

McGrath to Pietersen,
1 run,
full, Pietersen can sometimes turn those into yorkers with his tendency to walk to meet the ball, but he flicks this into the leg side with no alarms

McGrath will be happy to give the single to have five balls at Mahmood

65.2

McGrath to Mahmood,
no run,
left alone, good judgment as that was only inches outside his off stump

65.3

McGrath to Mahmood,
no run,
an easier call as that was too wide to trouble the batsman

65.4

McGrath to Mahmood,
OUT,
as was that one, but this time Mahmood aims some kind of airy drive with only partial footwork and a thick edge is well taken by Gilchrist moving swiftly to his right

SI Mahmood c †Gilchrist b McGrath 0 (11m 9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

And Steve Harmison comes in at No. 9, promoted ahead of Matthew Hoggard.

65.5

McGrath to Harmison,
no run,
full on off stump, almost yorker length, Harmison digs it out

McGrath gets a great reception down at fine leg

65.6

McGrath to Harmison,
no run,
outside off stump and Harmison keeps his feet planted and watches it pass by

End of over 66 (1 run)
England 136/7

SJ Harmison0 (2b)

KP Pietersen18 (59b)

GD McGrath16-8-25-1

SK Warne13-4-28-2

66.1

Warne to Pietersen,
1 run,
swept along the ground past a cowering short leg but Pietersen wanted to come back for a second but good fielding ruled it out

66.2

Warne to Harmison,
no run,
patted to point

66.3

Warne to Harmison,
no run,
turned across the right-hander and well left

66.4

Warne to Harmison,
1 run,
Harmison stretched and swept that from outside off stump past short leg who was again forced to take evasive action

66.5

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
Pietersen rocks back and slams that straight at short extra cover

Fielders come in to save the single and so give McGrath a crack at Harmison.

66.6

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
Pietersen takes two big strides and allows that to hit his front pad

Pietersen is left with the tail but he doesn't seem to have any truck with the idea that he should try to milk the strike ... the danger is that he will run out of partners.

End of over 67 (2 runs)
England 138/7

KP Pietersen19 (62b)

SJ Harmison1 (5b)

SK Warne14-4-30-2

GD McGrath16-8-25-1

67.1

McGrath to Harmison,
no run,
left alone

67.2

McGrath to Harmison,
2 runs,
interesting stroke, certainly not in any text book I have ever seen, a top-spin lob worked into space behind square on the leg

67.3

McGrath to Harmison,
no run,
Harmison gropes and misses, the crowd give the appropriate oohs and aahs

67.4

McGrath to Harmison,
no run,
this time he leaves it

67.5

McGrath to Harmison,
no run,
confident drive to mid-on

67.6

McGrath to Harmison,
FOUR,
full, sweetly chipped with a seven iron over mid-on as McGrath stands hands on hips muttering

End of over 68 (6 runs)
England 144/7

SJ Harmison7 (11b 1x4)

KP Pietersen19 (62b)

GD McGrath17-8-31-1

SK Warne14-4-30-2

68.1

Warne to Pietersen,
1 run,
Pietersen reaches for it, sweeps, and again exposes Harmison to the remainder of the over

68.2

Warne to Harmison,
OUT,
and the folly of Pietersen leaving his partner exposed is underlined as Harmison heaves a ball full and wide down the throat of mid-on who doesn't have to move

SJ Harmison c Clarke b Warne 7 (11m 12b 1x4 0x6) SR: 58.33

Strewth ... now Monty Panesar strides out at No.10 ... is that the sound of Duncan Fletcher sobbing I can hear?

68.3

Warne to Panesar,
no run,
forward and blocked to cheers from the crowd

68.4

Warne to Panesar,
no run,
wristy off drive which ends with a flourish ... straight to a fielder, however

68.5

Warne to Panesar,
no run,
wide and left by Panesar

68.6

Warne to Panesar,
no run,
floated and Panesar resists the temptation to have a swing and blocks it

Now, will Pietersen continue to take the early single or will be give some semblance of trying to extend the innings by farming the strike. Ponting has ste the field to give him the one

End of over 69 (1 run)
England 145/8

MS Panesar0 (4b)

KP Pietersen20 (63b)

SK Warne15-4-31-3

GD McGrath17-8-31-1

69.1

McGrath to Pietersen,
no run,
Pietersen's footwork suggest he is thinking of auditioning for Strictly Come Dancing, but he gets in a bit of a muddle and the ball trickles out on the off side

69.2

McGrath to Pietersen,
no run,
lofted into the deep but loud boos as Pietersen declines the single

69.3

McGrath to Pietersen,
no run,
still his feet are moving but once more he cannot find the big hit he seems to be looking for

69.4

McGrath to Pietersen,
no run,
left alone, too wide to be of interest

Ponting has kept his men out, so he is still happy for the one

69.5

McGrath to Pietersen,
1 run,
and KP accepts the invitation by ambling a single to wide mid-on

69.6

McGrath to Panesar,
no run,
resolute defensive stroke

And that's drinks with England on the ropes after only two and a bit sessions. We have been told that crowd is 89,155 which is only a couple of thousand light of the record.

End of over 70 (1 run)
England 146/8

MS Panesar0 (5b)

KP Pietersen21 (68b)

GD McGrath18-8-32-1

SK Warne15-4-31-3

Refreshed, the players are making their way back to the middle where Shane Warne will resume to his mate.

70.1

Warne to Pietersen,
no run,
big swing across the line which he misses and Warne barks a rather optimistic appeal given the ball pitched about two feet outside leg stump

70.2

Warne to Pietersen,
OUT,
Warne strikes, Pietersen, stranded with the rabbits, looks to loft the ball into the stands behind the bowler, and deep mid-off and mid-on converge just inside the ropes and it's Andrew Symonds who makes a difficult catch look ridiculously easy

KP Pietersen c Symonds b Warne 21 (104m 70b 0x4 0x6) SR: 30.00

70.3

Warne to Hoggard,
no run,
started wide, spun even wider and Hoggard could barely have reached it even if he had wanted

70.4

Warne to Hoggard,
1 run,
Hoggard plays this with an angled bat into square behind square on the off

70.5

Warne to Panesar,
no run,
Panesar not taken in by the googly

70.6

Warne to Panesar,
no run,
well blocked, but one of these two better try to hit the ball because they are unlikely to last too long and they might as well go down guns blazing

End of over 71 (1 run)
England 147/9

MS Panesar0 (7b)

MJ Hoggard1 (2b)

SK Warne16-4-32-4

GD McGrath18-8-32-1

71.1

McGrath to Hoggard,
1 run,
a full toss as he tries for the yorker, hit straight to Lee at mid-on and a crazy single ... Hoggard would have been out by about five yards had Lee hit

71.2

McGrath to Panesar,
no run,
blocked by Panesar ... has the pressure of rising to No.10 checked his attacking instincts?

71.3

McGrath to Panesar,
no run,
back, into line, and played with a straight bat that would have coaches purring

71.4

McGrath to Panesar,
no run,
but all that good work wasted as he fences at one outside off stump

71.5

McGrath to Panesar,
no run,
played off the back foot to point

71.6

McGrath to Panesar,
no run,
head over it, everything correct with that backward defensive stroke

Andrew Miller is fed up, as must be the tens of thousands who travelled from the UK to Melbourne. It's been dismal cricket and the weather isn't even offering any solace.

End of over 72 (1 run)
England 148/9

MS Panesar0 (12b)

MJ Hoggard2 (3b)

GD McGrath19-8-33-1

SK Warne16-4-32-4

72.1

Warne to Hoggard,
3 runs,
swept into space and good running gets them three

72.2

Warne to Panesar,
2 runs,
Panesar waits for it and flicks it fine on the leg side with the spin

72.3

Warne to Panesar,
no run,
this time he waits and waits and then lunges forward and smothers the spin

72.4

Warne to Panesar,
no run,
ripped back in, Warne roars for a leg-before decision which Koertzen turns down. Warne makes no attempt to hide his anger, but it might have been just about missing leg

72.5

Warne to Panesar,
no run,
played into the covers

72.6

Warne to Panesar,
no run,
and Panesar keeps this one out as well

Warne chunters and snarls as he takes his hat

End of over 73 (5 runs)
England 153/9

MS Panesar2 (17b)

MJ Hoggard5 (4b)

SK Warne17-4-37-4

GD McGrath19-8-33-1

73.1

McGrath to Hoggard,
no run

73.2

McGrath to Hoggard,
no run,
steered to gully off the back foot

73.3

McGrath to Hoggard,
FOUR,
where on earth did that shot come from! Short, Hoggard swivels and hooks that along the ground for four. That said "I want my No. 9 slot back".

73.4

McGrath to Hoggard,
no run,
wide and Hoggard makes a show of shouldering arms

73.5

McGrath to Hoggard,
no run,
too full and a beautiful off drive which mid-off has to dive to cut off

73.6

McGrath to Hoggard,
no run,
less convincing defensive shot, but as effective

End of over 74 (4 runs)
England 157/9

MJ Hoggard9 (10b 1x4)

MS Panesar2 (17b)

GD McGrath20-8-37-1

SK Warne17-4-37-4

74.1

Warne to Panesar,
2 runs,
rather an ugly heave into the leg side but it's runs nevertheless. He won't last long if he tries that again!

74.2

Warne to Panesar,
OUT,
Panesar perishes trying to drive Warne down the ground, never getting hold of the ball and barely reaching Symonds at mid-on

MS Panesar c Symonds b Warne 4 (27m 19b 0x4 0x6) SR: 21.05

Hoggard to open from Southern Stand End (OK, Wendy?)

After some action with the heavy roller, Andrew Flintoff strides out ahead of his troops with the expression of a man who has been summoned to the bank to discuss his overdraft on a day off. Huge cheers greet Australia's openers.

Warne takes his floppy hat and leads Australia off to a massive ovation from an adoring public after taking his 37th five-for. Batting was not easy on a pitch spruced up by the rain, but Australia bowled well and England were simply not at the party.